Description
This is Cronk Na Mona
Richard Smyth was born on Christmas day in 1838, in Dublin Ireland. As a youth he loved the scriptures. Consequently, when he heard the restored Gospel preached he accepted it and was baptized, January 27, 1854. Some time after, Richard became Elder Smyth and was serving as missionary in the Liverpool Conference. He received a call to go to the Isle of Man and preach there. When he first arrived, he thought it was going to be a hard area of labor, but the opposite proved true.
He was generously provided with a place to stay. As he lay in his bunk on that first sabbath, he thought to himself, “what shall I do today?” He described what happened next.
“It was just then that I received a very convincing testimony of the truth of the Gospel, for I distinctly heard a voice instructing me what to do. The voice in a clear, forceful strain called on me, naming me by name, and said, “Arise and go to Cronk Na Mona, and tell a young man there what he has done has not been acceptable to the Lord, and that you have authority to baptize him for the remission of his sins.” To say that I was astonished to hear these words spoken clearly and distinctly would but faintly describe my feelings. I asked myself, “Am I deceived? Is this a delusion? What does it mean? ls it an evil spirit that is mocking me?” But then the calm, peaceful influence which I felt… and I decided at once to obey it.”
He asked the locals for direction and was told that they thought there was a place by that name out in the country beyond Douglas. Elder Smyth wandered out into the countryside. The roads were mostly deserted. He decided to stop and ask for directions at a “neat, comfortable-looking house.” A young woman answered the door. “Please tell me how far I am from Cronk Na Mona,” he asked.
“This is Cronk Na Mona, sir, please come in, this precinct is called by that name,” she said.
Elder Smyth went in and identified himself as a missionary. A young man in the house spoke up and said, “Oh, you are one of the dippers.” Elder Smyth looked at him and knew this was man to whom he was to deliver his message. The two of them engaged in a lively discussion on the need for baptism. It carried to dinnertime. The young woman had been very interested in their discussion as she prepared dinner. She invited them to stay. After dinner the two picked up where they had left off—the young man insisting that baptism was not necessary.
It was getting late. The young man departed to go to his home and Elder Smyth decided to leave with him and return to Douglas. Just as they were about to separate, the missionary remembered his message.
“My friend, I have a message to give you,” he said. “And catching his eye, I continued, “This is my message: What you have done has not been acceptable to the Lord, but I have authority to baptize you for the remission of your sins.” I was astonished indeed to see the effect of my words, or rather, I should say, the word of the Lord which I had imparted to him. “What’ said he, “Who told you? You surprise me, I never told you about it.” “About what?” said l. “About what I have done,” he replied. “What have you done?” “Oh, it has been quite a secret with me, but I will tell you now. Some time ago I was greatly impressed by reading of the Savior’s baptism, and I felt that it was necessary for me to be baptized by immersion, so I went down by the sea, and attending to prayer and necessary preparations, I baptized myself, but I found that it had not the effect on me that I fully expected.” “Oh,” said l, “now I see the necessity of the message I have delivered to you.” He then acknowledged that he was convinced. “Yes,” said he, “l am satisfied that I am to submit myself to be baptized. Will you kindly meet me next Wednesday and I shall be thankful to go down to the sea and be baptized.”
The following Wednesday he was there, along with the young woman who had fed them dinner. Both were baptized by Elder Smyth and then confirmed at the water’s edge. Not long after, the young man, Henry Moore, married the young woman, Christian Cannel and emigrated to Zion where they settled in the fifteenth ward in Salt Lake City true and faithful to the end of their days.
As for Richard Smyth, his conviction and desire was to gather to Zion, which in 1863, he did, sailing on the ship John J. Boyd. He married Elizabeth Looser, a convert from Switzerland and together they had six children. Richard became the first hatter in Salt Lake City, but it is not for the making of quality hats at 6th Ave. and “C” streets that he is remembered, but rather for these words he wrote,
Israel, Israel, God is calling,
Calling thee from lands of woe.
Babylon the great is falling;
God shall all her tow’rs o’erthrow.
Come to Zion, come to Zion
Ere his floods of anger flow.
Come to Zion, come to Zion
Ere his floods of anger flow.
It is that rousing hymn of the Restoration, Israel, Israel, God is Calling. Altogether fitting that it was written by one who came to Zion and within her walls rejoiced all his days.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/hymns/israel-israel-god-is-calling?lang=eng
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